Fuck You EA (Or my Rock Band Guitar broke)

[NiX]

So, as of this afternoon my Rock Band guitar took a trip down shits creek and boy was I ticked off. I wasn't ticked off that it broke, oh no. I was ticked off that when I googled for a solution I came up with a handful of Canadians bitching about how EA's online RMA site wasn't accepting Canadian requests. I figure I'd take the high road and e-mail their customer support to find out what exactly should be done about this and got a reply to which they told me to call some 650 number. Where the fuck is that anyway? I called it. On my cell phone. So that was like 20 minutes at .75 cents a minute.

This biggest kick in the nuts is the outsourced support they have. I don't even think they know what they're doing tech support for. They couldn't fucking make an instructional video or something? The guy literally asked me if I had plugged the guitar into the USB hub. Yes, I'm having a strum bar problem and it's because I haven't plugged it in and I'm not actually playing the game. But, it only got worse. After I talked my way through the script reading USB guy I was sent off to their "warranty" department. Now, I'm kind of lucky, I guess, in the sense that when I tell people my last name, Freeland, and they ask me to spell it, well, I know I'm in trouble. It took her a whole five minutes to understand why, as a Canadian, I was giving her a POSTAL code and not a ZIP code. Let me remind you it was 5 minutes at the cost of .75 cents a minute.

In the end they're sending me the box to ship out my guitar, but I would really like to know who to contact to complain. Not only about the lack of Canadian support on their website, but the fact that there's no option for a number that doesn't cost money. Especially when the instruments breaking is such a widespread problem. Any help with a contact method that would net me the fastest results?

[Trippy]

So, as of this afternoon my Rock Band guitar took a trip down shits creek and boy was I ticked off. I wasn't ticked off that it broke, oh no. I was ticked off that when I googled for a solution I came up with a handful of Canadians bitching about how EA's online RMA site wasn't accepting Canadian requests. I figure I'd take the high road and e-mail their customer support to find out what exactly should be done about this and got a reply to which they told me to call some 650 number. Where the fuck is that anyway? I called it. On my cell phone. So that was like 20 minutes at .75 cents a minute.

The 650 area code is basically the area south of San Francisco (415 area code) and north of San Jose (408). EA's HQ is almost right in the middle between those two cities.

[Azazel]

Don't call shit like that on your cell.

Sorry, I feel for your fucked-up guitar and all, but the very idea of calling that length of time on a mobile makes me wonder.

[Big Gulp]

Don't call shit like that on your cell.

Sorry, I feel for your fucked-up guitar and all, but the very idea of calling that length of time on a mobile makes me wonder.

No shit.  There's a reason Skype was invented.  I've got a no-computer-necessary wireless Skype phone that serves as my landline.  At $50 a year for a subscription, why the hell would you not?

[Strazos]

People still have home phones?

[Azazel]

Yeah. They're so you don't get F'ed in the A when you need to make a long-distance call that lasts awhile. Or a really long local call.

I'd get a Skype phone, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Also, we have a ton of handsets here and replacing them all would be a pita.

[Strazos]

EH, I suppose that's a good reason, maybe.

I hardly use my phone, personally. I hate talking over the phone.

[Abagadro]

Ya, if I didn't have a land line my mother-in-law couldn't call my house four times a day.

Wait a minute...

[Ghambit]

Nix, screw EA and fix the guitar yourself.  There is no tape on the screws so if you're careful you can STILL return it for a warranty replacement (or just keep 2 guitars).  Check the other Rock Band thread on these forums for my post on fixes.  No need to sacrifice your Rock Band playing holiday weekend 'cause of chinese craftsmanship.

[NiX]

Don't call shit like that on your cell.

You think I sat beside a home phone while on my cell for fun? I'm a college student. I can afford one or the other. I choose the cell out of convenience, so it's my only choice.

Ghambit - I've opened the guitar already and plan to bitch if they mention anything about it being opened.

[Joey]

People still have home phones?

I have more than a handful of clients (that use cell phones, BTW) who keep a $30 - $40 per month landline JUST so that they can use $10 to $25 dial-up.  Why?  Because adding $45 to their cable bill for broadband Internet is completely ridiculous.   

[Azazel]

Well, another primary reason we have a landline here still is for Family. So her parents and my parents can ring us without being scared of their phone bills going up if they called our mobiles. It's one of those annoying concessions we make to those people who created us. But yes, if that wasn't a factor we'd probably have ditched the landline.

[Amaron]

No way I'm getting rid of a land line or something like it.  I shudder to think of giving my cell number to all the places I have to supply a phone number too.

[Strazos]

Like who, the pizza place?

I've never received a "random" call on my mobile. Ever. Maybe I am lucky.

[Joey]

Like who, the pizza place?

I've never received a "random" call on my mobile. Ever. Maybe I am lucky.

Same here, and I was even published in the Yellow Pages for a year.

[NiX]

Neither have I. Well, except for the calls for the person who had my cell number before. But, I don't think that counts.